Month: May 2011

The "It Gets Better" ad done by Google for its Chrome browser, which received a lot of attention when it aired during "Glee" last week, is being shown during the NBA playoffs. I just saw it at halftime of the Chicago-Atlanta game on TNT. The video, which advocates against bullying, is reaching a demographic heavy […]

Swedish soccer player Anton Hysen, who came out earlier this year, talks about his coming out in Attitude magazine. He makes a point we’ve talked about for years – that you can’t look to fans and teammates to decide when you’re ready to come out. The worst thing a player can think of is the […]

Peter Vidmar has resigned at chief of mission for the U.S. Olympic team in 2012 after controversy erupted over his vigorous opposition to gay marriage. Said Vidmar in a statement: “I wish that my personal religious beliefs would not have become a distraction from the amazing things that are happening in the Olympic movement in […]

The top two NBA franchises for several years have been the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Now both teams are down, 0-2. While the Celtics had won their first three games against the LeBron James and the Miami Heat this season, they’ve lost their far more important last three games against them. The […]

A Croatian court has thrown out one of two lawsuits claiming homophobia against Croatian soccer president Vlatko Markovic. Two gay-rights groups brought lawsuits against Markovic last year when he said gay players wouldn’t be on the country’s national team because “only healthy people play football.” Legally, Croatia is one of the friendliest Eastern European countries […]

Johnny Weir Openly gay figure skater Johnny Weir has condemned the choice of Peter Vidmar to be chief of mission for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team in London. Vidmar is a strong opponent of gay marriage. Weir told Phil Hersh of the Chicago Tribune: “I certainly wouldn’t want to be represented by someone who is […]

Dave Kopay, a great friend of both Cyd and myself, needs no introduction to Outsports readers. He is simply one of the great trailblazers in the fight for equal rights for gays and lesbians. For those, though, who aren't as familiar with his story, KCTS in Seattle did an excellent profile of Kopay in a […]

“Top Shot,” the History Channel reality show about marksmen, is seeking new contestants for its fourth season. The deadline to apply is May 20. This is the second time the show's producers contacted Outsports, since they would like a gay or lesbian marksman to make the cut, and they got a good response the last […]

Patrick Burke (left) with brother Brendan. GForce hockey and Patrick Burke held a panel discussion at the American Hockey Coaches Association convention last weekend. The discussion was attended by coaches at all levels of hockey. A full press release on the convention and the group's push to further discussions of gay athletes in hockey is […]

Poor Peyton Hillis. And after such a good season. The fans voted the Cleveland Browns running back onto the cover of Madden 2012, obviously hoping he suffers a season-ending injury in training camp. True, last year Drew Brees didn’t have a terrible season, it just wasn’t as rewarding as his Super Bowl victory the year […]

Lady Gaga and poverty-fighting organization Robin Hood need help giving away $1 million…and one of the five groups in the running is the Hetrick-Martin Institute, “the nation’s oldest social service organization dedicated to serving LGBTQ youth, providing health services, food, counseling, education, career development and H.I.V. and S.T.D. prevention.” Right now the Institute is in […]

Major League Baseball has suspended Atlanta Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell for two weeks. The suspension comes in response to allegations that the coach made highly inappropriate comments (including homophobic comments) and gestures toward fans during a game at San Francisco on Easter. McDowell apologized for transgressions without admitting to anything in particular. Meanwhile, another […]

In 2011 ESPNW asked a tired question about acceptance of gay players in the NFL. Even then we knew the answer: They will be accepted, even if the players don't know it.

Brandon Stoneham College soccer player Brandon Stoneham writes a terrific coming out story for Outsports and opens with about how he told his coach at Adelphi University. The coach, Carlo Acquista, knows something about the difficulty of coming out through the experience of his younger brother Paolo. “I totally know where [Stonerham’s] coming from because […]